Agricultural implement.



W. H. RICE.

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT. APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1912.

1,081,915. Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

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division of an aiolication tiled b 1 me So)- WILLIAM H. RICE, OFROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT.

1,81,915. Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed September 15, 1909, Serial No. 517,841.

18, 1912. Serial No. 710,207.

*atcnted Dec. 16, 19.13. Divided and. this application filed July tionfiled by me and on which Letters Patent No. 931,934 issued September21., 1900, the last mentioned application having been a division of anapplication filed by me on which Letters Patent No. 980,335 issuedJanuary 3, 1911.

The invention, as herein embodied, co1nprises an excavator or shovel 1adapted to penetrate the earth, and side pieces 2 extending rearwardlyand supported on the axle 3 which carries the ground wheels "1-. Theconveyor is arranged between the sides of the main frame, beingsupported at its forward end in proximity to the shovel and at its rearend near the rear of the main frame, and comprises an endless chainenibmlying transversely extending rods arranged be tween the sides ofthe frame and connected at their ends by the links (3.

The forward end of the conveyor preferably supported in proximity to theshovel by guiding pulleys or wheels 7, while the rear end is preferablysupported by sprocket wheels 8 arranged on the transverse shaft 9 whichcarries the pinion 10 adapted to be driven by the gear wheel 11 on theground wheel.

The space between the forward end of the conveyor and the rear end ofthe shovel is closed by a plurality of swinging gates, the upper facesof which form a continuous surface between the conveyor and the shovel,when in normal position. Each of said gates comprises an upper portion12 tapered or reduced at its rear end, as shown at 13, and a lowerportion 14. which engages under the rear end of the shovel, as shown inFig. 1. The gates are pivotally supported on the transversely extendingrod 15 which is suitably secured at its ends to the side pieces 2. Theupper portions 12 of the gates are of suilicient weight to more thancounterbalance the lower portions, so that the gates extend normally ina horizontal direction and connect the shovel and the forward end of theconveyor. By providing the rc duced or tapered portions 13, at the rearof the gates, I overcome the possibility of earth or obstructionsgetting in between the adjacent gates in such a position as to preventtheir proper closing, while at the same time sufficient surface isafforded to conduct the material from the shovel onto the conveyor.Curved shoulders 16 are attorded between the upper portions 12 and thelower To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, lViLLrAM H. Bron,of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Agricultural Implements;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, and to thereference-numerals marked thereon.

The present invention relates to agricultural implements, and moreparticularly to potato diggers of the type embodying, gen; erally, anexcavator or shovel at the forward end, an endless conveyor extendingupwardly from the rear end of the shovel, and a run way at the rear endof the conveyor through which the potatoes are discharged, and it hasfor its object to provide a novel construction for closing the spacebetween the forward end of the conveyor and the rear end of the shovel,in a manner that will enable the material received by the shovel to passreadily onto the conveyor, and at the same time prevent the machine frombeing clogged by material carried upwardly from the lower lap of theconveyor.

A further object of the invention consists in providing a series ofyielding gates for the purpose mentioned, these being constructed andarranged in such a manner that when in their normal position they form asubstantially continuous surface between the shovel and the convever.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvementsand combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the endof the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a potatodigger o1nbodying a preferred arrangement of the invention; Fig. 2 is aplan view of the shovel and the yielding gates arranged in proximitythereto, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the shovel andthe conveyor.

Similar reference numerals tlnroughout the several figures indicate thesame parts.

The subject matter of this invention is a temher 15, 1909, Serial No.517,841, resulting in Patent No. 1,034,734, Aug. 6, 1912, the latterhaving been divided from an applic:

portions '13, said shoulders being arranged to abut against the rearedge of the shovel, so as to permit the gate to turn on its pivotal axiswhen engaged by an obstruction carried upward from the lower lap of theconveyer, as shown in Fig. 3. The arrangement of the curved shoulder 16and the lower portion 14 provides a unique structure which enables thegate to yield when necessary, and at the same time forms a substantiallyunbroken conducting surface from the shovel to the conveyer.

I claim as my invention:

1. in a digger, the combination with a shovel, of an endless conveyeroperating in rear of the shovel, and a plurality of upwardly yieldinggates extending from the shovel toward the conveyer and tapered at theirrear ends adjacent the conveyer.

2. In a digger, the combination with a shovel, of an endless conveyeroperating in rear of the shovel and a plurality of upwardly yieldinggates having their upper surfaces nor "rally in alinernent with theupper surface of the shovel, said gates being tapered at their rear endsadjacent to the conveyer.

3. In a digger, the combination with a shovel, of an endless conveyeroperating in rear of the shovel, and a plurality of upwardly yieldinggates extending from the shovel toward the conveyer, said gatescoinprising upper portions, lower portions adapted to engage the undersurface of the shovel, and curved shoulders connecting said lowerportions and the upper portions.

4:. In a digger, the combination with a shovel, of an endless conveyeroperating in rear of the shovel, a plurality of upwardly yielding gatesextending from the shovel toward the conveyer, said gates embodyingupper portions, lower portions adapted to engage the under surface ofthe shovel, and curved shoulders connecting the upper and lowerportions, the gates being tapered at their rear ends adjacent to theconveyer.

5. In a digger, the combination with ashovel, of an endless conveyeroperating in rear of the shovel, a shaft extending trans versely of theshovel, a plurality of upwardly yielding gates spaced from each otherand mounted for independent movement on said shaft, the gates havingupper portions adapted normally to form a continuation of the uppersurface of the shovel, lower portions arranged to engage the undersurface of the shovel, and curved shoulders connecting said upper andlower portions, the gates being tapered at their rear ends adjacent tothe conveyer.

WILLIAM H. RICE. Witnesses RUssnLL B. GRIFFITH, NnLsoN H. Corr.

Qopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

